Dec 31 - D&C 76:22 & Cupcakes

D&C 76:22

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!


I hope that you enjoyed some of my scriptures this month. It was a fun experience putting these on. I think for January I will go back to normal posts, until I come up with another idea. I did enjoy the "Grateful" postings in November and the scripture sharing in December.

Hope everyone has a Happy 2011!

Micah made these cupcakes yesterday. She was so excited as these are her first cup cakes that she has ever made. She did a great job!

Dec 30 - Isaiah 1:18 & Black and White

Isaiah 1:18

18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

This morning we had a fresh layer of snow (not like they are getting in Denver .... hope all is well in Colorado). Nothing like a fresh layer of snow to cover up all the dirt and brown snow. Just like the Savior does with our sins, if we follow Him.

We also had some visitors at our house today to play some games. We love it when the Black family comes to play! Jared would not let me get pictures of him playing Just Dance 2. Looking back at this, it might be a good thing as it would have broken my camera. I know my eyes are still trying to recover from him "busting a move".

Dec 29 - Helaman 5:12 & Party!

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Tonight we had a party with some of our neighbors. We played some games and had some food. It was a good time. The kids enjoyed having a dance off with our new Wii game "Just Dance 2". Micah also enjoyed playing with her friends.

Dec 28 - Joshua 24:14-15 & Mac or PC?

Joshua 24:14-15

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

We have many things in life that demand our attention. We have to choose how to spend our time and whom we will serve. There are many "gods" today that demand our attention (money, material items, etc.) so we need to make sure we focus and serve the true Lord.

Our family got some money from different members of the family for Chirstmas and we decided to get a new computer. Ours is several years old and not a very good machine. We are thinking about making a switch to a Mac. We are going to keep our old machine, so we think that having a Mac might be a good idea for our kids (learn to work on different machines). We are hoping to make the decision within a few days.

Dec 27 - Malachi 3:8-11 & Christmas Again??

Malachi 3:8-11

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

One of the events that I have been involved with for the past several years is Tithing Settlement. I know that it is the end of the year when we finish up Tithing Settlement. Tithing is an important part of preparing us to live with Heavenly Father, as we learn that all things come from Him.

Today, we also went up to Sugar City to have our "second Christmas". All the Bates family got together today to exchange gifts and, as you can see, we had a lot of gifts to open. The Windows of Gifts opened up today, as we spent a couple of hours opening up more presents.

Dec 26 - John 14:26 & Family

John 14:26



But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.



We find comfort in a lot of different things. Today after church we went up to Sugar City to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Bates, Becky, Jared, Kendra and Derek. We spent the day playing a few games. Also, Mariah got a present from Kendra. They have been sending a "Edward" doll from the movie Twilight back and forth for a couple of years. This year Mariah got the doll back, but it was dressed in Taco Bell wrapping paper (see post from "Sept 17 - Bonus Post" for the back ground story on Mariah and digging through Taco Bell wrappers).

Dec 25 - Luke 2:7 & Christmas

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Below are some pictures we took on Christmas morning. Look at the time the kids got us out of bed! Normally we have to get them up, but this year I made a big deal of this, so they decided to show me up and get us up early.

We hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Dec 24 - D&C 88:119 & Chili

D&C 88:119

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.


Christmas Eve at the Welch home means one thing, chili. This has been a tradition that my family has had for many years. We do some of the other traditions (Luke 2, etc.), but eating chili is the sign in my mind that tomorrow is Christmas. It warms the tummy and the soul.

Thanks Wendy for caring on this Welch tradition!

Dec 23 - D&C 4:4 & Missionary Dinner

D&C 4:4

For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

Tonight we had the missionaries over for dinner and then I was able to go with them on a visit to a single sister in our ward. It is always nice having the missionaries over for dinner. They have a wonderful spirit about them. I am grateful for the mission I was able to serve and I hope that my son (and daughters if they want to) will serve a mission.

At this time of year, we need to celebrate the mission of the savior. I know for me, when I think about Christmas, it is not just about His birth, but about the life and mission he fulfilled.

Dec 22 - Luke 17:12-17 & Sick

Luke 17:12-17

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priest. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine.

Modern medicine is a wonderful thing, and I can't help think of the wonderful spiritual gifts of healing the sick. Today Mariah was not feeling 100% so we were able to give her some medicine, which help her get better. When I think of all the sickness that our family (including extended family) has had to overcome, I can't help but think of the above scripture. We need to make sure that we show gratitude for the healing power that has come upon us all over the years.

Dec 21 - 2 Nephi 25:26 & Eclipse

2 Nephi 25:26

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Tonight was the lunar eclipse. I ended up sleeping through it (which I can't believe I did), so when I got up I took this shot. I love these astronomical events, as they remind me that we have may wonders and signs that our world was created by a higher power.

Dec 20 - John 6:35 & Bread of Life

John 6:35

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Every year for our neighborhood gifts, Wendy bakes bread and makes homemade jam. I think that several of our friends look forward to this gift, as when we drop them off, we get lots of enthusiastic reactions (from jumping up and down, to "its about time"). We try and give out the bread when it is hot.

I can't help but think of the above scripture when we pass out the bread.

Dec 19 - Mosiah 3:5-8

Mosiah 3:5-8

For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.
And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.
And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.
And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

Without question, the above scripture is my favorite passage in scripture. i have been waiting to post this on the blog, and as today is the last Sunday before Christmas, I thought today was the perfect day.

If I had to choose one chapter of scripture and had to get rid of the rest, I would choose Mosiah Chapter 3. It covers all aspects of the gospel, it is pure revelation from God.

The first part of the scripture has special meaning to me for many reasons. The first time this scripture had special meaning to me was when I was spending my first Christmas in the mission field. I was only out a few months and feeling a little home sick. My mission president sent out Christmas cards to his missionaries and in the card was the above scripture. It gave me such strength and renewed my desire to serve faithfully. Every time I read this scripture I am reminded of this experience and feel the powerful love of our Heavenly Father and the love that the Savior has for us.

May all of you have a Merry Christmas, and keep the true meaning of Christmas in your life throughout the year.

I know the below picture does not have much to do with the above thought, except that miracles do happen (Tyler doing the dishes).

Dec 18 - D&C 42:22 & Wendy

D&C 42:22

Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

Today is a special day for Wendy and I. Dec 18, 1991 was the day that we got engaged. Wendy remembers the events better the I do, but I have never forgotten this day (it is exactly 1 week before Christmas, so it is easy for me to remember). We have always exchanged small gifts to each other to celebrate the day. Today she gave me this book and I gave her a CD. We usually go out to a dinner and movie to celebrate. We did the movie and dinner thing yesterday, as there is a BYU football game on today. Wendy has her priorities straight (see why I love her)!

Dec 17 - Moroni 10:32-33

Moroni 10:32-33



Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot

Today we got our first package from the family in Colorado. We are having a fight in our house as to who gets to open the boxes. I keep telling everyone that the boxes are addressed to "Scott Welch Family", so that means I get to open them (I am focusing on the "Scott Welch" part of the box). The kids say that the most important part of the address is the "family" part. I am not sure who will win, because as of right now, we have not yet opened them.

Dec 16 - D&C 9:8-9 & Another Puzzle

D&C 9:8-9

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.

We finished another puzzle. We normally on do a couple of these a year, but for some reason we have worked on them back-to-back for two months.

I also have a testimony of the above scripture. It is amazing to work in a Bishopric, as you see revelation come to the Bishop as he "puzzles out" different things he is responsible for.

I know we are not alone on this Earth, and as we go through life, we need to keep the above scripture in mind to help us receive revelation for the areas we are responsible for.

Dec 15 - D&C 25:12 & Tyler's Concert

D&C 25:12

12For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

Tonight was Tyler's band concert. He plays in both Jazz band and Concert band. Tyler plays the baritone sax (and the alto sax). He was asked to switch to the baritone sax last year because no one was playing this instrument. When he plays you can hear him as he is one of the lower instruments in the band. He loves playing in the band. Going to a band concert has been a tradition in our family for many years. I am glad my kids can play musical instruments.

Dec 14 - D&C 121:36-37 & Power

D&C 121:36-37

That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man

Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of my favorite sections. There is a lot for a priesthood holder to learn in this section. When I think of "power" I think how lucky we are to have the priesthood on Earth, and also how lucky we are to have electricity. We use electricity every day in our lives and I think that may of us take it for granted. We all know what it is like to have a power outage. The same can be said for the Priesthood. May of us take it for granted and assume that it will always be there. We need to be extremely grateful for the things we have.

Dec 13 - D&C 64:33-34 & Bogey Clause

D&C 64:33-34

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days

Not sure what the above scripture has to do with the picture below. I just had to add this picture of Bogey. Ever year Bogey gets a big bone for Christmas, so I think he looks forward to Christmas as much as anyone in our family.

Dec 12 - D&C 59:18-20 & Beauty of the Earth

D&C 59:18-20

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion

One of the things I am more impressed with every day is this wonderful Earth that we have to live on. There is beauty all around this earth, both in the mountains and in the oceans. It is amazing to me the complexity and simplicity of Gods creations. He truly does love us.

For those others who are posting pictures on their blogs, thanks for sharing them.

Dec 11 - Alma 46:12-13 & Tyler's Award

Alma 46:12-13

And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land-

Today Tyler got his award for his Patriotism essay from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He received on Honorable Mention for his essay. They said that over 700 essays where entered and his was one of the top 5% in Arco, Idaho Falls and Rexburg area. The Veterans of Foreign Wars post had a luncheon in Rexburg for all the winners. It was a neat experience to see him get this award after all his hard work. Good job Tyler!

It also was a good reminder to remember all those defending our country and freedom this time of year. Pray for those men and women who are protecting the values of this great country.

Dec 10 - Luke 2:7 & Manger Ornament

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.


Today I got my last Christmas ornament up. This is something that I made for Wendy last year. It is hard to see in the snow, but it is something that we enjoy.

Dec 9 - Alma 31:5 & Skating

Alma 31:5

And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.


Tonight was our ward (or neighborhood) Christmas party. We went to the local roller skating rink and skated for a while. We also watched a short video of the life of the Savior. We had a great turnout as we had some people who normally don't go to church show up and skate. We also had some non-members show up. And for the record, I did skate around the rink. I was not fast, but I did get out there (not for very long).

The above scripture reminds me of how powerful the word of God is. As people hear His voice their hearts are changed and then great things happen. It is important to be good friends and neighbors to everyone. We don't change people hearts, people change when the listen and follow the spirit.

Dec 8 - D&C 14:7 & First Gift

Doctrine and Covenants 14:7

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

It is always a tradition of mine to try and be the first person to put a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree. I know that I don't wrap the first gift, but I do try and be the first one to put one under the tree. Maybe Wendy lets me be the first, but it is something that I try and do.

I love to see gifts under the tree as it reminds me of the greatest gift that we have, that of eternal life.

Dec 7 - Matthew 11:28-30 & Resting

Matthew 11:28-30

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.


I had to snap a picture of Micah tonight as she was asleep. She looks so peaceful. She works hard and plays hard each day, so she is always tired at night. I think that is how all of use should be, work hard all day and then rest. When I saw her sleeping, I thought of the above scripture. One of my favorite scriptures that I learned on my mission. This was one of our zone conference scriptures. I think it has multiple levels of meaning.......

Dec 6 - Matthew 26:39 & Shopping

Matthew 26:39

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.


I am not trying to make fun of the above scripture, but sometimes when we go Christmas shopping, I feel as if it will never end. Tonight we headed out to get a few last minute gifts so I did not have time to get a "good" picture. I think we are almost done (yea!!!!)

Okay, maybe the scripture is a little funny when you think about shopping and how it will never end. And if you change the word "Father" to "Wife" it reads:

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Wife, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Dec 5 - Fasting and Feasting, 2 Nephi 31:20

Today was fast Sunday and also my turn to conduct Sacrament meeting. I never try to prepare what I am going to say in my testimony as I feel it needs to come from the heart. Today I talked a little bit about this blog and how it has brought joy in to my life. This month I am trying to make sure that something I do every day can be found in the teaching of the scriptures. This has made me look at the life of the Savior in different light.

As today was fast Sunday, I am reminded of the importance of having nourishment both to the body and the spirit. We need to feast upon the words of Christ so we may live together as an eternal family. We also must nourish our bodies, to keep them strong and healthy. Below is a picture of the casserole that Wendy made for our family.

2 Nephi 31:20

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Dec 4 - Finished Puzzle & 3 Nephi 15:9

Today we finished a puzzle that my parents sent to me a few months ago. Mariah, Micah and I like to work on puzzles and this one was tricky. You can't tell very well from the picture, but it is a painting by Norman Rockwell. We had to "endure to the end" to finish this puzzle.

3 Nephi 15:9

Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life

Dec 3 - Emergency Surgery & Matt 18:1-4

Today Shanell (Wendy's sister) had to go to the hospital for emergency surgery. She had to have her appendix taken out. We got the phone call around 7:00 pm, so Wendy went to pick up Shanell's children. We had Cade, Landon and Elise spend the night with us.

We had a good time and they behaved extremely well. Below are some picture of them as they are getting ready for bed. I was impressed by the faith that Shanell's children showed in the doctors and staff at the hospital. They had faith that everything was going to be fine. It reminds me of the scripture in Matthew 18:1-4.

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven

Dec 2 - Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The might God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Today nothing special happened. I had tithing settlement tonight so I did not have much time at home after work.

Dec 1 - Matthew 25:34-40 & Lifecare Center Visit

Seeing how this is the month to celebrate the birth of our Savior, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my favorate scriptures with everyone. And I will still posting something that we did each day.

Matthew 25:34-40

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kindgom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.


Tonight some of the youth in our ward visited the Lifecare Center. This is a heath care center that our ward has responsibility for. There is about 65 people who live in the center. Yesterday the Priest and Laurels made 500 cookies and tonight they delivered them. They also gave everyone a pair of socks. It was a nice way to start off the Christmas month.